It looks like Games Workshop has rebranded Space Marines once again, as the word Primaris seems to be dead already in 10th Edition Warhammer 40k.
Nearly six years have passed since GW started a giant rebranding back in 8th Edition for Space Marines, and now it seems like they might be coming full circle with 10th. As Space Marines are the biggest-selling models of all time for GW, they must also keep them fresh, and 10th Edition Warhammer 40k might be another step in that direction.
Primaris have had a dicey reception over the years, but there are plenty of people who also love them. Whether you love or hate them, it looks like they are getting rebranded once again (at least up to this point).
Here are the quick links to the latest for 10th Edition Warhammer 40k and the full articles below!
- Warhammer 40k New 10th Edition Release Guide: LATEST
- New 10th Edition Warhammer 40k Starter Set
- What Will Happen To Codex Books in 10th Edition
- All the Latest 10th Edition Rules Changes
- How to Build Army Lists in 10th Edition Warhammer 40k
Primaris Are Dead, Games Workshop Has Rebranded Space Marines
So what the heck are we talking about, you ask?
Well, if you look through all the 10th edition preview articles starting with Adepticon, strangely, they never actually mention the word Primaris once (actually, they said in reference to the Terminators’ size that they are “not primaris” but that’s it.)
They didn’t even mention it for their Intercessor Datasheet preview or the badass new lieutenant model!
Take this all with the normal amounts of salt, as we haven’t seen the new index yet or anything. However, it feels odd not to see them use the word once since they started previewing 10th Edition at AdeptiCon 2023; even so much as distancing a new unit from the term “Primaris” the one time they actually used it.
For example, if you look at this datasheet, they don’t put Primaris in the title, which goes against their current branding strategy.
Going into 8th and 9th, they put it on anything and everything that is Primaris. It seems pretty interesting not to see the Primaris keyword, but maybe on the full datasheet, they will have the Primaris keyword.
If you just look at their webstore, they put it on basically every unit and specifically say it for the Intercessor entry. However, I think we can all agree that retail is always a bit more outdated than the rules side of things when it comes to Games Workshop.
As you can see, the new design takes several cues from the existing Reiver Lieutenant and Phobos Lieutenant. As a veteran operative fighting a desperate guerilla war on frontier worlds, he’s had to make do and mend with his gear – yes, that is Tyranid chitin used as a makeshift replacement shoulder pad.
If you look at the new Lieutenant, they say Phobos and Reiver, but never actually the word Primaris. Maybe now, everything will just be broken down by the type of armor and a complete rebranding of Space Marines once again.
This might be one of the biggest hints towards a rebrand (besides the datasheet); just look at the wording from GW and the total absence of Primaris:
Their Leadership score of 6+ is also excellent in the new Edition – on par with most Characters – though with an Objective Control score of just 1, they’ll need some help from Intercessors to hold down the fort.
As you can see, there is a total lack of the word Primaris, as they just say, Intercessors. It’s a trend at this point, and it’s interesting to see Games Workshop leave the word completely out of anything related to 10th Edition Warhammer 40k.
It may just be that outside of retail packaging and their webstore, all Space Marines are just their unit names now, like Intercessors and there is no more Firstborn or Primaris designation.
Don’t take out word for it though; go search all the new previews thus far for the word “Primaris” yourself below!
- https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/04/04/just-how-tough-are-terminators-in-the-new-edition-of-warhammer-40000/
- https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/04/03/warhammer-40000-the-anatomy-of-a-new-datasheet/
- https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/04/03/go-way-behind-enemy-lines-with-a-new-space-marine-lieutenant/
- https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/03/23/the-best-8-moments-from-the-awesome-new-warhammer-40000-cinematic-trailer/
- https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/03/28/warhammer-40000-what-does-the-new-game-mean-for-your-codexes/
- https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/03/23/the-next-edition-of-warhammer-40000-has-been-revealed/
- https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/03/23/a-mindblowing-new-edition-of-warhammer-40000-is-coming/
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What do you think about the total lack of the word Primaris in anything pertaining to 10th Edition Warhammer 40k?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
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About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures. Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including the Adepticon Team Tournament and American Team Tournaments, and is on a first-name basis with almost every major company in the space.
He’s all gaming all the time. With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. He advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1908s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
